"With all the changes to the coaches, they couldn't find any consistency here, so my main goal coming in here was to give them consistency as a head coach," Graham said.

Last year's seniors were resistant to another coaching change, and understandably so, Graham said, and the upperclassmen still were adjusting this season, but the Mustangs made some breakthroughs.

They went 7-7 in non-district play and won the Lexington tournament, where they beat Cedar Creek, Giddings, Lexington and La Grange.

"The girls began to understand that you have to compete, and so, even the games that we lost, we competed in," Graham said.

Their newfound competitiveness showed up even in the losses.

They fell 59-35 to Navasota last season. This year, the game was a narrow setback, 35-34.

In district play, they lost 76-38 and 63-31 to Huntsville last season. This year, they fell 48-44 and 55-42. Against Magnolia, they lost 60-39 in the second round last season. This year, Magnolia won 40-37.

The key, Graham said, is they're always competing, even in practice.

"You come in, you shoot 50 free throws, how many did you make - 30, 40?" Graham said. "And the top numbers are on the team for the day.

"So I turn every moment, as soon as they step into practice, into a competitive moment."

Going forward, Magnolia West's new district could be easier to navigate and earn a playoff spot in.

Sophomore shooting guard Taylor Hitt was the leading scorer, at 9.0 points per game and 34-percent shooting from 3-point range, sophomore guard/forward Savannah Collier was the leading rebounder, with 9.0 per game, and sophomore point guard Carissa Williams averaged 6.0 assists per outing.

All three moved up early to varsity, giving them an extra year with Graham.

The rest of West's strong sophomore class will join them next season.

They'll also working on building skills and shooting mechanics in the coming months.

"That's why we are missing open shots," Graham said. "It's not that we don't get them, it's just that we are not focused on doing everything the correct way, and if you don't start teaching that, you're never going to get the wins."